Envelope



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filffsereesfm- NEW YQRK, N.Y.

ENvELoPE J. A. HOLDEN Filed June 3, 1938 Il r c Susu-r .un

itc. SC2-BLAH.

RICHARD RQE Ntw vonmNfr.

Amann Dun haver-nen'.

May 21, 1940.

SH01/Mg Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

AThis invention relates to lan envelope and particularly to the type of envelope which may be sent to a person with a message therein and then returned by that person with a remittance or an order to the person Who originally sent out the envelope. .Envelopes of this kind are used by houses in their credit departments for reminding a customer of the amount due and enable the customer to remit in the same envelope that amount. Theyv are also useful for houses sending out order. blanks or advertisements of merchandise and the same envelope may then be used to return the proposed order.

`The envelope of the invention may contain the message printed on its flap and that flap may then be inserted in the envelope and if desired a small amount of gum may be applied so that the iiap would not be readily removable and the envelope could then go third class mail. On its return the envelope would bewsealed securely to enclose any remittance desired and would be sent as first class mail. All the addresses would be typed or printed on the envelope before it began its initial trip.

The invention also embodies certain characters that may be placed on the iiap and with indicia on either the back'of the envelope or the back of the flap to indicate the position of these characters on the front of the ap and when the nap is inserted in the envelope the indicia can be punched or otherwise marked so that upon extending the ap the characters on the front of the iiap which are designated would be readily apparent. This feature of the invention is very useful in sending out due bills because the envelopes may be sent to the credit department of the corporation completely printed and sealed and the credit department need only address them and indicate the amounts due before mailing the forms as third class mail. No folding or inserting or other handling of the envelope is required by the credit department when the envelope is used in this manner.

'Many other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing forming part hereof.

Figure 1 is a view of the front of the envelope with the iiap extended.

Figure 2 is a view of the back of the envelope with the :flap extended.

Figure 3 is a. view of the front of the envelope with the iiap inserted.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4?-4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a View of the envelope prepared for its return trip.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of Fig. 5 on line Referring to the drawing in detail, the envelope has a front member l and a back member 2 and end sections 3 extending from the front member section and folded over and glued to the back member or section. Extending from the back section and integral therewithA is a iiap member 4. This iiap member is transversely foldable as at 5 and when so folded it is insertable under the front member into the envelope as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Gummed sections are on the free edge of the iiap member, two end sections 6 and a center section l. These gummed sections are separated so that the center one may be moistened Without moistening the end ones. Also the extreme edge of the flap at 8 is clear or free from gum. With this construction when the flap is folded and inserted into the envelope the center gummed section l may be moistened and the envelope is then ready for sending by third class mail to its addressee, in this instance John Doe. The use of the small gummed section is allowable by the postal regulations in sending third class mail. Upon receipt of the envelope John Doe grasps the clear edge of the flap and pulling it pulls loose the gummed section 1 and extends the ap. He then'places his remittance in the envelope and meistens thegummed sections and folds the extended flap over his own name and address and returns it to the original sender Whose name is already printed on the back of the flap of the envelope, in this case Richard Roe, Yas shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6.

As will be noted the name of the sender Richard Roe, is at the return address portion of the envelope in Fig. 1, like being at the top of a sheet ofpaper. rIlhe name and address of the addressee is in the center portion of the front member as shown in this same ligure and thereunder onthe flap is the message for the addressee. The addressee not only sees the message 4printed on the ilap but also his name immediately above it so that he is able to grasp at a glance and without thought that the message is for him.

As shown the message is in-the form of a statement of an account. The legend indicates that the amount due is shown by the gures 9 as they are punched, one or more punches above the gures indicating the dollars due and one or more punches below the gures indicating the cents due, as punched $51.93 being indioated as due. On the outside of the flap or preferably on the back of the envelope are indicia It indicating the location of these figures on the inside or front of the flap so that when the ap is folded and inserted in the envelope the operator by placing his hand inside the fold of the iap can suiiiciently separate the envelope to insert a punch and then following these indicia on either the outside of the flap or envelope he punches the amount due by that customer. These indicia are of a type not to give exact information in regard to what they indicate to the general public so that the use of the envelope is not a public debiting of an account. These figures are also on the section of the ap adjacent the back of the envelope so that they cannot be intelligently read Without completely extending the flap. The message is therefore a private one but for postal inspection the flap may be extended and the gummed spot 'i broken.

The uses of the envelope are almost unlimited. The type of characters or their meaning and arrangement could be varied to suit the need of the business. When characters with indicia or uniform messages are adaptable the form eliminates folding, inserting, typing, multigraphing or mimeographing and sealing which may all be done at the factory producing the envelope resulting in greatly reduced operating costs and postage costs.

Even though individual messages may be desired the envelope can be used and it completely eliminates the use of a separate return envelope and facilitates obtaining back either the order or the message desired by the sender. The form saves completely the cost of the second or return envelope with very little additional expense to the original sender of the envelope.

The methods of handling the envelope are so simple and so readily indicated on the envelope that its accurate and proper use is very nearly inevitable.

The invention has been described herein more or less precisely, yet it is to be understood that changes may be made in the arrangement and proportion of the parts and that equivalents may be substituted Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. An envelope comprising back and front members, a transversely folded sealing flap ad.- joining the back member insertible under the front member and within the outline of the envelope, said flap bearing a legend adjacent its free edge to indicate that the envelope may be opened by extending the flap, said front member being modiiied to allow for the visibility of said legend, and means on the inside of the ap to retain the same under the front member.

2. An envelope comprising back and front members, a transversely folded sealing flap adjoining the back member insertible under the front member, separate gummed and clear sections adjacent the free edge of said flap, one gummed section attachable to the inside of the front section in one use of the envelope and another to the outside of the front section in another use of the envelope, the edge of the flap forming means to extend the iiap from its inserted position.

3. A two trip envelope comprising back and from members, a sealing iiap adjoining the back member, separate gummed sections one spaced from a clear portion of the edge of said flap, on one trip, said flap being transversly foldable and insertible under the front member, with one gummed section attachable to the inside of the front section, the clear portion of the edge of the ap forming means to extend the flap from its inserted position, and on the other trip, said ap being extendible over the front member and another gummed section attachable to the outside thereof.

4. An envelope comprising back and front members, a transversely folded sealing iap adjoining the back member having gummed and ungummed sections thereon adjacent its free edge, said iiap being insertible under the front member, and one of its gummed sections being attachable to the inside of the front member, and an ungummed section of the edge of the flap forming means to extend the flap, and aninside of the front member, said nap, when extended, substantially covering the front member and another of its gummed sections being attachable thereto.

6. An envelope comprising back and front members, the back member having projecting g therefrom a transversely folded ap, the front member forming an address portion and the ap, immediately therebelovv, forming a message portion for the person addressed, the ap, adjacent its free transverse edge having gummed sections, one to seal inside the front member at one time, another to seal to the front of the front member when the ap is extended over the address portion.

An envelope comprising back and front members, a transversely folded sealing flap adjoining the back member having separate gummed sections adjacent, and clear sections at its free edge, said flap being insertible under the front member, and one of its gummed sections being attachable to the inside of the front member, said front member covering the other gummed sections, the clear section forming means to extend the ap, the flap, when extended, substantially covering the front member and the other gummed sections being attachable thereto.

8. An envelope comprising back and front members, a transversely folded sealing flap adjoining the back member having separate gummed sections adjacent its free edge, said iiap being insertible under the front member, and one of its gummed sections being attachable to the inside of the front member, said front member covering the other gummed sections, the flap, when extended, substantially covering the front member and the other gummed sections being attachable thereto.

9. An envelope comprising back and front members, a transversely folded sealing flap adjoining the back member, central and end gummed sections adjacent and clear sections at its free edge, said flap being insertible under the front member, the central gummed section being attachable to the front member, the clear section forming means to extend the flap, the ap, when extended, subs-tantially covering the front member and the end gummed sections being attachable thereto.

10. An envelope comprising back and front members, a transversely folded sealing flap adjoining the back member,l central and end gummed sections adjacent its free edge, said flap being insertible under the front member, the central gummed section being attachable to the inside ef the front member, the flap, when eX.- tended, substantially covering the front member and the end gummed sections being attachable thereto.

11. An envelope comprising back and front members, a transversely folded sealing flap adjoining the back member having gummed and clear` sections adjacent its free edge, said flap being insertible Within the outline of the en-Y velope and under the'front member, which covers V the gummed section and exposes the clear section, by the pulling .of which said flap may be extended, the front member forming an address portion and the extended ap being sealable to said front member by said gummed section and substantially covering the address portion thereof, and being adaptable, when so sealed, to have another address thereon.

JOI-IN A. HOLDEN. 

